---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is always reassuring to discover that…"
description: "\"“It is always reassuring to discover that great writers are as fallible as oneself. W.B. Yeats once failed to obtain an academic post in Dublin because..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/terry-eagleton-1660_w-b-yeats_it-is-always-reassuring-to-discover-that_2853811.png"
---

#  It is always reassuring to discover that great writers are…

![“It is always reassuring to discover that great writers are as fallible as oneself. W.B. Yeats once failed to obtain an academic post in Dublin because he misspelt the word ‘professor’ on his application.” quote by Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/terry-eagleton-1660_w-b-yeats_it-is-always-reassuring-to-discover-that_2853811.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/terry-eagleton-1660_w-b-yeats_it-is-always-reassuring-to-discover-that_2853811.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/terry-eagleton-1660_w-b-yeats_it-is-always-reassuring-to-discover-that_2853811.png)

> ““It is always reassuring to discover that great writers are as fallible as oneself. W.B. Yeats once failed to obtain an academic post in Dublin because he misspelt the word ‘professor’ on his application.””

[Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Even great writers are fallible; recognizing their mistakes humanizes them and eases personal insecurities.

**In simple terms:** Great writers make mistakes too.

Key Takeaway

Accept imperfection in yourself and others.

Themes

humility literature insecurity

Mood

reflective encouraging

Type

literature psychology education

When to use this quote

- education
- writing
- self-esteem
- creative work

Key Concepts

critical theory humanism

Questions to Reflect On

- What does a writer’s mistake teach you?
- How does this affect your own confidence?

A Different Perspective

Focusing on flaws may undermine admiration.

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[Fallible Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallible-oneself-3812759/) [Oneself Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneself-yeats-3812756/) [W-b-yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/w-b-yeats-202547/) [Writers Fallible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-fallible-3812758/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yeats/) [Yeats Failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yeats-failed-3812757/)

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> [ “For \[W. B.\] Yeats magic was not so much a kind of poetry as poetry a kind of magic, and the object of both… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-raine/for-w-b-yeats-magic-was-not-so-much-a-kind-of-poetry-as-poetry-a-kind/)

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